Voice In The Wind
by Miss Quartermain
Summary: AU. After the fight at Miranda a young woman named Mei-Lin who cannot speak a single word becomes the charge of Serenity's crew, specifically the Captain.  Who is she, and why does the Alliance want her captured? Mal/OC, Simon/Kaylee, Zoe/Wash.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All I own is Mei-Lin and the plots that revolve around her.

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Chapter One

It was winter on Shadow when _Serenity_ touched down, River barely looking as she guided the large ship to the ground. Mal couldn't help but feel that maybe the little albatross was just doing her best to show off. She had that talent for making what seemed difficult to others look so smooth-like and simple that normal folks tended to feel dumber than Jayne on his good days. Still, least ways they were landing in one piece. Even after the whole lovely make-over that _Serenity_ had undergone, she was not running as smooth as Mal would like. Kaylee was complaining about various groans and creaks that the ship was making and the money was stighter than usual. The crew had done their best to keep their heads down after the whole Miranda incident, and that was fairly easy since no one knew who in the hell was responsible for getting the disturbing wave out. Still…now and then Mal wished they could have cashed in on their heroic act if only to shut up Kaylee and the ship both about the parts needed.

All that was almost forgotten as Mal stepped down the ramp leading from _Serenity's_ cargo bay with a slight smile and pulling his coat tight around his body to keep himself from freezing. Same old Shadow, all right, he thought in satisfaction. A few of the buildings were gone or smaller than he remembered, but it was still mostly unchanged. That and he had only been knee-high to a horse when he left Shadow, so of course everything would look smaller. Behind him, Mal heard the rest of the crew getting the mule ready for the trip into town for supplies and fuel, but he didn't give them much notice. For once it was nice to just focus on the past before the war and all the complications that came after that.

"Cap'n," Kaylee called cheerfully, pulling on a home-spun sweater one of her many aunts had sent to her at their last stop. "Me an' River gonna head out an' get what we need. Any chance we got the money for a few new parts for _Serenity_?"

Mal didn't like saying no to his mechanic, but that was what he was forced to do. Shaking his head firmly, he said in what he hoped was a very Captain-y voice, "Sorry, Kaylee. We just fuel up and get what foodstuffs we can afford. _Dong ma_?"

The young mechanic's face fell at that, but she nodded her understanding before turning to engage in a lip-lock with the good doctor before hopping onto the mule behind River. Mal couldn't help but make a face at this show of affection. He was relieved to see that Kaylee and the doc had gotten rid of all the annoying tension between them, but did they have to make with the mating ritual in front of the entire crew? It didn't help none that Zoë and Wash was set on havin' a newborn now they'd survived Miranda, and Jayne looked ready to murder anytime he saw Simon and Kaylee interacting intimately. River, on the other hand, was completely nonchalant about it, almost as if it wasn't happening at all. Mal would never understand women-folk.

"Zoë, ship is yours," he called over his shoulder as Jayne joined him on the surface of the planet.

"She'll be ready for departure when you get back, sir," his right-hand-woman replied with a nod, closing up _Serenity's_ cargo bay.

Turning to look at Jayne to give him some instructions, Mal had to pause as he saw that Jayne was once more wearing his "cunning hat". There were times when Mal couldn't take the big _buhn dahn_ seriously, and this was one of the most prominent of those moments. Shaking his head with a roll of his eyes, Mal cleared his throat before speaking. "We're just here to see if anyone's got a job worth doin'," he said firmly. "I don't want no trouble from your side of things, Jayne. Almost all the women-folk here got husbands or fathers with guns ain't afraid of puttin' folk who mess with their wives and daughters in their place. You start somethin', don't expect me ta step in for ya."

Jayne looked surprisingly like a petulant child-the hat did help somewhat with that image-and sighed heavily. "I ain't been able ta come in contact with nothin' soft for weeks, Mal!" he complained. "Man can't live like this forever. It just ain't natural-like."

"Well you're gonna have ta continue bein' unnatural-like for a while longer," Mal said with a warning glare. "Folk here are mighty proud of their ability ta keep men like you from ruinin' the reputation of any self-respecting girl hereabouts. You keep yourself to yourself or someone will be spreadin' parts of yourself all over town. Now c'mon."

Growling under his breath as he followed Mal, Jayne jammed his hands into his pockets with a glare but said nothing else out loud. He'd seen what Mal looked like after the battle at Mr. Universe's complex, and if Mal could still be walking after a beating like that, then Jayne did not want to get on the captain's bad side anytime soon. That and Zoë would likely kill him if he were to break Mal's nose. 'Sides, Captain would know best 'bout this backwater world, as he grew up here. If Mal was an indication of anything, then the people on Shadow were not the sort a guy like Jayne wanted to deal with.

The town was small; no really important buildings outside of a schoolhouse, a tavern, and a stable. This only made Jayne all the more displeased. Not a decent whorehouse for the last three months. How was a man supposed to get himself sexed up if there weren't no willin' women-folk anywhere close by? Hell, this town didn't even have a proper bar from what he saw. Jayne officially hated this backwater town.

The one thing that passed as a bar was currently crowded because, from what Jayne and Mal could gather, there were new goods to be bought and sold. Glancing at one another, the two men decided to investigate and began shoving their way through the crowd. Whatever the goods were being sold, they were causing quite a riot in the town. Mal wondered what it could be that got his hometown in such a dither. He got his answer when he finally managed to get inside the bar.

In the middle of the room, standing on a small platform, was a girl. She looked about twenty or so with pretty Asiatic features and a look about her that said she hadn't always been a slave. She weren't too hard on the eyes, either, as Jayne was quick to point out with a crude chuckle. Her entire attitude, besides the look of better times, spoke of fear. She didn't meet anyone's eyes and she flinched anytime a man spoke too loud close to her. This girl had obviously been through something to get her so scared; Mal just couldn't begin to guess what it could be. It wasn't until later that he noticed the scars on her throat.

"So what'm I offered for this fine girl?" the man who was obviously the trader responsible for her shouted, his words slurring only somewhat, making it next to impossible to tell he'd been drinking.

"For that skinny kid?" someone in the back called. "She ain't worth fifty credits!"

"You ain't lookin' beyond the skinniness, friend!" the trader retorted. "This gal got the grace God only gave to the finest of women folk. She got herself one hell of a gift for hard work, and she cooks as only those gourmets from the Core do!"

Jayne tilted his head to one side behind Mal, taking in the girl better. Mal shot a dangerous look at the mercenary and shook his head firmly. There was no way in any hell that he was letting Jayne bring a sex slave on his ship. While the girl was very pretty in a quiet, frightened way, Mal had his limits to what he would allow to happen. Still…girl that young didn't deserve to be a slave.

"I'll give ya twenty credits!" one man in the back hollered. "Cook's always good to have around."

The poor girl looked over at the speaker and when she saw the way he was licking his lips as he looked at her, she shuddered violently and tried to back away. Her escape was prevented by the trader grabbing her roughly by the arm and forcing her back on the platform. Mal's throat grew dry with anger at this. He hadn't expected his home planet to sink so low in the time since he'd been here. Slavery wasn't something that most planets condoned, but apparently times had gotten very tough on Shadow.

"Twenty's too cheap, friend!" the trader barked, glaring dangerously at the girl. "Anybody gonna offer me a hundred?"

Mal tried to look away and find someone who looked promising for a job, but even though he couldn't see the girl, he could hear all that was being said about her purchase. One man in the back of the bar who looked about the age Mal's granddad would be if he were alive, shook his head sadly and glanced at Mal.

"T'ain't right," the old man said as Mal drew nearer, making his way towards the bartender. "Kid don't deserve that kinda treatment. If I was twenty years younger, I'd fight that ol' son of a bitch ta get that kid outta there."

"Well, nothin' I can do," Mal said quietly. "I'm just here lookin' for work, old timer."

The man gave Mal a measuring look and smirked to himself for a moment before he motioned for the younger man to draw closer. "What kinda work, son? I may know where you could find somethin'."

"Transportin' goods, mostly," Mal said simply, shrugging and giving the man a curious look. "You got livestock or goods need movin', we can handle it."

"So…you the one with the Firefly in need of repair?"

Mal nodded with a shrug. "She's taken worse beatin's 'fore and kept flyin'. So…you know anybody might want somethin' transported off world? Subtle-like and unnoticed, maybe?"

There was a moment of silence as the old man glanced at the bunch of drunks still arguing about who would purchase the quiet girl. After careful consideration, he nodded at Mal. "I got me some cargo needs ta get off world without Alliance eyes knowin' about it," he admitted. "I got 'nough money to pay for it an' more. But I also got me a condition for the job." Nodding at the crowd around the girl, he chuckled dryly. "You take that kid off world and drop her someplace nicer."

Jayne, who had been paying more attention to the girl than Mal's conversation, turned his head so sharply that Mal was amazed his "cunning hat" hadn't gone flying across the room. "No ruttin' way, Mal!" the mercenary snapped. "Bad 'nough we got three womenfolk on the ship, we don't need no fourth one, no way!"

"Jayne," Mal said calmly, fixing a warning look at the larger man. "Your mouth is talkin'. Go buy yourself a drink while I work on the business side of things. And keep your hands to yourself!"

Muttering under his breath in Chinese, Jayne decided that now was not the time when he wanted to be picking a fight with Mal. The captain hadn't had his daily dose of coffee in four days and he was getting a bit tetchy about their lack of work. Jayne could always complain later if Mal went along with this crazy-ass scheme of the old codger's.

Turning his attention to the potential customer once again, Mal pondered his options before answering. They hadn't had work in a long time. They were running along on fumes and bare essentials more often than ever before now, and the work would be greatly appreciated. Mal was even willing to transport more cattle if it meant that they got paid. But…Jayne was right. Didn't make sense to have another girl onboard. Still…the old man hadn't said they had to keep the girl onboard. Just take her off of Shadow. She could go to Persephone and find work there. Resting one hand on his gun thoughtfully, Mal glanced over at the girl again. Poor kid was starting to look very scared as the drunk patrons started crowding closer to have their bids heard. Didn't seem right to leave her in this sorta mess. Finally, Mal nodded and extended his hand.

"You got yourself a deal, old timer," he said with a firm shake of his new customer's hand.

Nodding his approval, the old man returned the handshake just as firmly and chuckled. "Name's Roy Taylor. Here," he added, pressing a bag heavy with money into Mal's hand. "Buy the kid first and then we can talk at my ranch just outside of town. There's over three hundred credits in there. I don't think anybody's gone over one hundred fifty yet."

Blinking at the weight of so much money in his hand, Mal felt the wild temptation to run off right then and there, but he forced himself to stay put. Wouldn't do to leave a customer with a bad impression. Clearing his throat and turning to the ruckus surrounding the girl, he waved the bag above his head and bellowed as loud as he could. "I'll give ya three hundred for the girl!"

Silence fell on the bar like a blanket, everyone turning to stare at the crazy man who was offering so much money. He didn't look like he had been drinking, but no one could think of any other reason why he would pay so much for such a skinny slip of a girl. From his perch on top of one of the many bar stools, Jayne stared slack jawed at Mal, his glass of whiskey forgotten in his shock. What in the gorram hell was Mal up to?

"You heard me," Mal said calmly. "Three hundred in cash for the girl."

There were murmurs of shock around the bar as the trader looked from his prize to the man offering to buy her. Finally, he managed to peel his jaw off the floor and cleared his throat. "Well…_ta ma duh_," he muttered before speaking in a louder voice. "Sold to the gent with three hundred."

Walking up with all the confidence of a man who knew what he wanted, Mal handed the money over to the trader before he took hold of the girl's arm-gently, of course-and led her away from the platform. The girl was shaking like a leaf from head to toe and as he got a better look at her, Mal had some idea of why. She wasn't dressed for the cold winters on Shadow, her tunic and pants barely thick enough to cover her without letting anything be seen through the fabric, so they sure as hell weren't doing a good job of keeping her warm. Also, she was scared stiff. That much was seen in how she was looking at Mal right now, her big dark eyes wide and staring.

"Don't look at me that way," Mal muttered in discomfort. "I ain't gonna hurt you none!"

Still the girl kept looking at him as though she expected him to strike her at any minute. She didn't even notice when Mal stopped in front of Roy Taylor until the old man cleared his throat. Starting and turning her gaze to Taylor, the girl hastily wrapped her arms around herself and tried to hold back more shivers.

"Well," Roy muttered under his breath as he pulled off his coat and wrapped it around the girl. "Let's head on to my ranch where we can talk business."

Motioning to Jayne to follow them, Mal led the girl out of the bar. She was a small thing, and Roy Taylor's large coat dwarfed her, making her look rather like a child playing dress-up instead of a grown woman. Jayne followed after Mal, the girl and Roy, his jaw still slack with confusion.

"Jayne, you go back to _Serenity_," Mal said firmly. "Tell 'em we got us a job and that I'm workin' out the details. Don't go to mentionin' the girl just yet," he added in a lower voice. "I gotta figure out the plan for her first."

The mercenary couldn't think of a response, so he simply nodded dumbly and turned towards the ship. Shaking his head and looking over at Taylor, Mal gave the old man a calculating look.

"So let's talk business."

Roy Taylor's ranch was a large establishment, with a rather luxurious ranch house at its center. This was where Mal and his silent charge found themselves as Roy began pouring out generous glasses of alcohol. The girl refused hers and started to shrug off the coat that had been given to her, but Roy stopped her.

"Nah, _nien ching duh_," he said with a smile. "That's for you to keep."

She didn't answer, except to shake her head firmly and hold out the coat to him. Finally Roy took it out of her hands, but he wasn't anywhere close to done with trying to keep the girl warm. Turning and shouting out in Chinese, the old ranch owner led the girl down the hall to where a large, middle-aged woman of Asian descent stood, her dark eyes glancing from her employer to his strange companions before she spoke.

"Yessir, what can I do?" she asked in a slight Core-ward accent.

"This young lady needs proper clothes, Mrs. Chang" Roy explained. "Take care of her and make sure she's got anything else she needs."

Nodding to Roy, Mrs. Chang motioned for the girl to follow her and led her out of the room. Mal watched all of this in a state of mild confusion. He could understand why the old man would want this girl out of the slave trade; no one deserved that fate. What he couldn't comprehend was why Mr. Taylor was going to such lengths for the kid. Oh, well, it wasn't any of Mal's business. What Mr. Taylor's cargo was, now that was Mal's business, and he was eager to get it discussed and over with.

"You said you had cargo?" he prodded in a mild tone.

"Yes I did," Roy replied, sitting down in a large armchair, groaning slightly as his stiff back decided to be unyielding until he was actually seated. "I got me some…rather contraband items that I don't want the Alliance knowin' about. I do some trading with the worse-off border planets now and then, and some of what I sell ain't exactly what you can get at any old general store. Mostly I sell things that are perfectly legitimate, but with times being what they are and that wave sent out about Miranda…" he trailed off with a shake of his head. "Things ain't so easy to trade these days. So what I need is someone willin' ta take a load of various medical and industrial supplies to Regina. They got themselves on the Alliance's hit list with how they're harborin' Browncoats who're tryin' ta start up some trouble, and they need the supplies."

Mal stiffened somewhat at the mention of Miranda and Browncoats, but Roy didn't seem to notice. When he saw that the old man didn't care one way or another about his political views, Mal relaxed visibly and sipped at the drink he had been offered. Medical and industrial…fairly common cargo these days, and he could easily use some of it as a cover if they got boarded. Nodding his understanding, Mal cleared his throat as the alcohol burned its way to his stomach.

"What's the pay?" he asked.

"Five thousand now, and another two thousand on delivery," Roy said calmly, his gaze on a spot on the wall above Mal's shoulder. "That seem good enough to you?"

Nodding his agreement, Mal shook hands with the ranch owner and sat back for a moment as he waited for the girl to get back. He wasn't going to just dump her on the hands of Mr. Roy Taylor now. True, she technically belonged to the old man since it had been his money and not Mal's that bought her, but Mal was an honest man and he had given his word to take the girl off-planet.

He didn't have long to wait, as Mrs. Chang bustled into the room with the girl in tow. Her tunic and pants were gone now, replaced by much a much warmer dress over long pants tucked into boots, a heavy coat similar to the one Mal was wearing and a rather beat-up old fedora covering her head. She looked every inch the immigrant worker, which would only help Mal in getting her sent off to wherever she wanted to go once this job was completed. Standing up and thanking his host for the drink, Mal took hold of the girl's arm again and guided her out into the cold.

Neither of them made a sound as they walked back to _Serenity_, their boots crunching down on the snow and their heads bowed against the wind. Mal kept his hand on her arm, because the girl had this lost look on her face that made him worry that she'd wander off if he let her go. She seemed to have realized that she was staying with Mal for the time being, though, so she didn't try to pull away from him or kick him and make a break for it. That much he was grateful for. Finally they found themselves at the ship and Mal guided the girl onboard, closing the cargo bay doors behind him with a shake of his arms to get the snow off his coat.

The sound of the doors shutting had brought the rest of the crew to the cargo bay and soon Mal was faced with six pairs of questioning eyes. "Got us a job," he said after a moment's pause.

"Jayne mentioned that, sir," Zoë said with a frown. "But he didn't mention you bringin' back a girl."

Simon had stepped forward instantly when the girl started shaking again at the sight of so many strangers, his facial expression that of the concerned doctor rather than a curious crew member. Kaylee remained where she was, though she was eyeing the girl in wonder while the others all stared pointedly at Mal.

"Part of the arrangement," Mal said with a shrug. "We gotta drop off some meds and industrial equipment on Regina and then take this girl someplace safe."

Zoë's eyebrow climbed up her forehead in disbelief at this as she glanced at the girl. The new passenger was flinching away slightly as Simon tried to introduce himself as the ship's doctor, and her hand had instinctively traveled to grip at the collar of her dress so that none of her throat could be seen. Frowning at this, Simon began asking her questions about her health, but there was still no answer.

"Pay's good, Zoë," Mal said firmly. "'Sides, it wouldn't be right to leave the girl to be sold as a slave."

That got Mal's second in command's attention. Zoë looked more closely at the girl, as if trying to find some sign of her previous enslavement before nodding stiffly. "Should I send Wash and Jayne to pick up the goods?" she asked after a moment's silence.

"Yeah, do that," Mal said. "And you go 'head and join 'em so you can get the first part of our payment." Moving towards the doctor as Zoë and her husband began readying the mule, Mal arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Trouble, Doc?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Simon mused. "She won't answer any of my questions. It may be possible that she doesn't speak English."

"She doesn't talk," River said firmly, appearing at her brother's elbow and looking fixedly at the strange girl. "Her voice was stolen. She can't make noises anymore."

Staring at River with wide eyes, the silent girl nodded that this was true before she made a writing motion with her hands. Simon was too busy looking at his sister in confusion to see this at first, but when he did, he hastily grabbed writing materials for the girl. In large, elegant letters, the girl wrote out her first message to the crew.

MY NAME IS MEI-LIN CHAO. THANK YOU FOR FREEING ME.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All I own is Mei-Lin and the plots that revolve around her.

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Chapter Two

_Serenity's_ newest passenger now safely tucked up in her own room near the infirmary and the cargo loaded, the crew gathered together in the kitchen, once more gathered around Simon as he pondered how best to tell what he knew. Mal couldn't help but be reminded of the first time Simon and River had boarded his ship as he stood watching the doctor, his arms crossed. Some things never changed, it seemed.

"So, Simon," Wash said as he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "There a reason you got us all packed in here, or are you just trying to mess with us?"

Barely glancing at the pilot, Simon chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment before he spoke, his words measured and serious. "I know who our passenger is."

"We all do, now she told us her name," Kaylee said, giving Simon a funny look.

"No, I mean I know who she is, not just her name," Simon elaborated. "Hers is actually a very well-known name in the Core. Or it was up until four years ago. Mei-Lin Chao was a very popular rising star in the local opera community on Ariel, until she disappeared under mysterious circumstances. For weeks it was all that the musical community could talk about. There were rumors of a fire in her home that killed both of her parents along with her, but only two bodies were recovered. I don't know how it happened, but the woman in the guest room is Mei-Lin Chao of Ariel, and she has somehow lost her voice completely. I got a good look at her throat when she was writing her name. There are scars there from some sort of operation. Whoever cut up her throat was not trying to be subtle about it, and they left their mark on her."

"Wait…we got a singer onboard now?" Jayne asked with a confused glare. "I don't get it. How come she's out here then?"

"That's the real mystery, along with who destroyed her vocal chords-which I am sure is why the scars on her throat are there-and why," Simon said with a shrug. "I'll try to figure out what happened to her during this job, but I'm not sure that will be enough time."

"Well, that's all the time you're gonna be gettin', Doc," Mal said firmly. "I promised to get the girl off world, not to take care of her until you figured out who and what's been screwin' with her throat. Now we all got jobs to do. Wash? You got the cargo?"

"All loaded and we got coordinates locked in," Wash replied, not looking ready to move from his rather comfortable position beside his wife. "River said she'd take the first leg of the trip, since she's gettin' so good at pilotin' this bird."

"Wash needs time with wife to make sure their bundle of joy will be conceived," River explained with a slight smile, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "At this rate, newborn will be around in less than a year."

Both Zoë and Wash had the decency to blush at this as River rose gracefully to her feet, walking past the pair without so much as a glance before exiting the kitchen. Mal decided to ignore the girl's crazy comments for now and simply shook his head in bewilderment. There were times when he almost wished River wasn't thinking so clearly these days, since it meant that she was now bringing up embarrassing topics all the time. Whether it was Zoë and Wash's attempt at having a child or what Kaylee and Simon were up to, there rarely was a time when River said anything that Mal wanted to know.

Turning to look at Simon, Mal frowned thoughtfully. "You think your sister's well 'nough for you to focus on our guest?" he asked.

"River is becoming more lucid each day," Simon said slowly. "I don't think she's quite ready for me to stop taking care of her, but I think that she'll be fine while I try to figure out what happened to Mei-Lin."

"Good 'nough for me," Mal said with a nod. "Our guest's now your responsibility. Everyone else…you know what you gotta do."

As the members of the crew began going their separate ways, Mal was surprised to see a small figure appear from behind the kitchen doorway. How long Mei-Lin had been standing there, he couldn't say, but she looked rather guilty about being caught, so he could assume she'd heard them discussing her. The silent girl had managed to escape Simon somehow, but that wasn't too great an accomplishment, as the Doc didn't always pay attention to his surroundings. Meeting Mal's gaze evenly, she finally stepped out of the shadow, paper and pencil clutched in her hands.

"So you hear all that?" Mal asked with an arched eyebrow.

Mei-Lin looked so guilty that Mal suddenly felt like a parent scolding a child for stealing the last cookie from the jar. She just seemed so young and child-like, especially in the ill-fitting shirt that she had gotten from Roy, the hem of which was currently tied around her waist for a better fit. Nodding glumly, she began hastily writing before holding up the paper for Mal to see.

AM I IN TROUBLE?

Mal didn't know whether to feel sorry for the girl or to laugh at how perfectly stupid her question was. She was a passenger, not part of the crew, so of course she wasn't in trouble for wandering around. Besides, it wasn't as though she had gotten into the cargo. Shaking his head and motioning for the girl to enter the room without being afraid, Mal tried to smile reassuringly at her.

"Nah, y'ain't in trouble," he said with a chuckle. "Dunno why you'd think that. You're a passenger here, so you're free ta move 'bout as much as you please, s'long as that don't include you lookin' through the cargo."

Mei-Lin gave him a funny look at that, as if to say "of course I won't be looking through your silly cargo" before she wandered towards the kitchen. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the produce that had been purchased during the time spent planet-side and Mal had to wonder when the last time she had seen an actual apple was. Reverently reaching out to touch the rare fruits and other items of food, she quickly began scribbling, her handwriting less than pristine when she held up the paper for Mal to see.

I KNOW HOW TO COOK. I'M VERY GOOD AT IT. I COULD MAKE SOMETHING. MY WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU.

Mal blinked a little at that before he shrugged noncommittally. It didn't matter none to him what she did while she was on his boat so long as it kept her out of his hair. Plus, it would be very nice to have someone on board who could actually cook, since Book left _Serenity_.

"You do whatever you want," Mal said with another shrug before he made his way out of the room. "Just don't set fire to the place."

As he left, Mal looked over his shoulder and felt more than a little amused to see the look of indignation that crossed Mei-Lin's face at the suggestion that she would set fire to anything. Shaking his head at that, the captain slowly made his way to his bunk. It had been a long day and there was a very long voyage to Regina ahead of them. He needed his rest before he even thought of doing anything else.

Mei-Lin looked around the kitchen with a mixture of dismay and satisfaction. Obviously whoever had been in charge of this area of the ship before was no great organizer, as various cooking implements were spread all over. Before she cooked anything, Mei-Lin would have to straighten this place up and make it somewhat presentable. Rolling up the sleeves of her shirt, the mute began moving pots and pans and other such utensils about, dusting and wiping up grime as she went. Order was good, she repeated mentally as she worked. This ship was not orderly, but it was stable. Stability and order were close enough together that Mei-Lin could be satisfied with the former.

It had been a long time since she had been in a stable environment, she thought. She had little memory of what had happened to make her a slave, but seeing that older man on Shadow…she had thought that he was very familiar. If only she could remember where she had seen him before. Tapping her feet rhythmically against the ground as she worked, Mei-Lin found her mind being drawn to Before.

That was all she knew it as: Before. What exactly Before meant, she didn't know and a part of her said very firmly that she did not want to know. She still had nightmares that made no sense to her; nightmares about men with knives and surgical tools, standing over her in lab coats with evil smiles on their faces. And sometimes, when she was in a very deep sleep, she would see two pairs of hands covered with blue gloves. She rarely remembered the events of the dreams, merely the people who she had seen, so Mei-Lin had no way of knowing what they meant.

Before meant a time when she had no nightmares; a time when she had lived peacefully with her Mama and Baba, not bothered with anything more than practicing for her next opera performance. Before was when she was a social icon, known for her lovely manners and her cultured intellect. Before was when she could sing.

Reaching up to finger the scars on her throat, Mei-Lin frowned deeply. The skin was smooth where the scars were, even though they looked ragged and rough. The scars were a mark that she would never be rid of. Some part of her mind screamed that They would find her if she ever left her throat bare, even though Mei-Lin had no memory of who They were.

Finally, she found that the kitchen was completely clean, leaving her with the opportunity to do the one thing that was left to her after her voice had been taken. With hands that had been made to play instruments rather than to work, Mei-Lin began cutting and measuring ingredients, soon filling the kitchen and the halls surrounding it with the tantalizing smell of real food. She was so involved in the cooking that Mei-Lin didn't notice the approach of the pilot until he was right across the counter from her. Starting violently and almost dropping the pan that she held, Mei-Lin blushed furiously and ducked her head shyly.

She had seen the pilot when she first boarded the ship and again when she listened to what the crew were saying about her, but she had not really paid attention to him. He was a rather eccentric looking man, she now noted, with his flamboyant shirt and mussed hair that looked as though he had just slipped out of bed. But there was kindness in his eyes as he smiled at her, and Mei-Lin felt herself drawn to him.

"That smells awful good," the man said with a lopsided grin. "Been a while since we had a decent cook on the ship."

Mei-Lin smiled shyly back at the pilot and began writing on the piece of paper that was fast becoming covered with her large handwriting.

GLAD YOU LIKE THE SMELL. I HAVEN'T DONE COOKING IN A LONG TIME.

"Well, if what I'm smellin' is anything to go by," the pilot laughed, "then you sure ain't fallen out of practice."

Her timid smile was growing a little wider, which made Wash feel better about even talking to the girl. She had looked like a frightened rabbit when she had first stepped onto the ship, and Wash hated seeing girls scared of anything. Just now when he had seen her cooking away, it seemed as though she was in a completely different world, her mind far away from the ship and its tiny kitchen, and somewhere much more pleasant.

"You go ahead and finish whatever you're doin'," Wash said with a grin. "Don't mind me."

The girl blushed softly and turned her attention back to the cooking utensils. The water that she was cooking the noodles in had started to boil, so it needed to be watched carefully. With that being the case, she could easily forget that she was being watched by someone. This was almost like it had been Before. Back when the simple pleasures in life were what she lived for.

It did not take long for her to find that all the cooking needed was done and Mei-Lin glanced over her shoulder at the pilot with a shy smile before she wrote out that dinner was ready and he could get the rest of the crew if he liked. Wash stood up quickly, ever ready to please, and nodded at her with a wink.

"Don't you worry," he said. "If I know these guys, you'll win 'em over with this meal, no problem."

Ducking her head at this, Mei-Lin chewed on her lip as the pilot walked out of the kitchen. She honestly had no idea why she was doing all of this…did she want them to think better of her than they seemed to because she was mute? Or did she want to stay here? That seemed likely. Not since Before had Mei-Lin had such a good feeling about a place as she did onboard this ship. Pushing that thought aside, she hastily began dishing up the food, putting the plates and silverware at the table. By the time the rest of the crew appeared, she was standing at the head of the table, waiting for all of them.

Mal didn't know what to make of this girl. One minute she was looking ready to faint at the mere sight of him and then the next…she was cooking them all the best meal that any of them had eaten in a long time. What was she trying to do, anyway? Still…the food smelled damned tasty and none of the crew were eager to have Simon cook for them again. It had been bad enough the last time. Only Kaylee pretended that it had been any good, and even her reassurances were rather weak.

Sitting down and smiling thankfully up at Mei-Lin as she moved to the other end of the table, Mal took a long breath and his stomach gave a very pointed growl. Forget what the girl was trying to get at. He was hungry. Food first, thought later. Besides…she would probably tell them everything eventually.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All I own is Mei-Lin and the plots that revolve around her.

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Chapter Three

Everything around her was hot. It was a searing heat that made the hairs on her arms feel as though they were catching fire. She couldn't find her parents. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was a wall of flames and smoke. The smoke was stinging at her eyes, making her tear up and rendering her temporarily blind. Where were her mama and baba? Where were they? Screaming their names at the top of her lungs, she took a huge breath of smoke as she did so, causing her to cough wildly and fall to the ground with how much her body was shaking with her coughs.

When she looked up again, all she saw were two pairs of blue-gloved hands grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her up to her feet. She could not see their faces, but that did not make her feel much better. If she could see their faces, then maybe she could know whether or not they were trustworthy.

"Where…" she coughed harshly and almost gagged as more smoke went into her lungs. "Where are Mama and Baba?" she finally managed to ask as she looked up into the smoke, trying to see the faces of her rescuers.

"They are not here."

The voice was cold and unforgiving. It made her shiver and whimper in fear. She did not put up a fight as they guided her out of the fire and simply went along with them. There was no point in her struggling. If Mama and Baba weren't here…then maybe they were outside. Were they? Oh, please Buddha, let them be outside!

Smoke continued to blind her until they were in the streets of the city. As soon as she could open her eyes without tears filling them, she began looking for her parents. Mama and Baba had to be here. They _had_ to be! But there was no sign of them. Tears filled her eyes that weren't caused by smoke. No…no, no, no, no! Opening her mouth, all that came out was a blood curdling scream. She didn't even realize that the men with blue hands were leading her away from the streets and towards a shuttle.

"Mama! Baba!"

Her voice faded away as she was dragged into the shuttle and she fell to the ground, curling up in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably.

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Mei-Lin woke up with a start, launching out of her bed and gasping wildly. She had not dreamed about the day she had lost her parents since she had been taken away by the men with blue hands. Gasping harshly as she clutched her blankets close to her body, Mei-Lin began to shake all over, crying softly to herself. Her tears were hot, like they had been the day when she had lost her parents. Reaching up hastily, she began wiping her eyes fiercely. She had sworn to herself to never give in to the weakness of grief again. They had done their best to work that out of her.

They always did that sort of thing. She had been in Their care for nearly four years before she managed to get out, and she had seen things. She had seen other victims of Their cruelty. Knowing that…it did not make her feel any calmer. Instead, her shaking had increased a great deal. Mei-Lin reached up to push her hair back, but her hand didn't make it all the way there. Standing up hastily, she pulled the long coat that Roy Taylor had given her and opened the door to her guest room on the ship.

Everyone else was either asleep or at various jobs at this point. If Mei-Lin's internal clock was right, then this was sometime in the middle of the night. She should have the ship to herself for most of the next few hours. That was exactly what she needed right now. Thankfully, if she was very silent, then no one would be able to notice her and get angry at her. That was the last thing that Mei-Lin wanted, was people getting angry. Though, she thought with a smirk and a roll of her eyes, she wouldn't have difficulty being too quiet.

_Serenity _was very silent, except for the rattling of the engine in the distance, and that suited Mei-Lin just fine as she slowly paced through the ship's halls and cargo bay. It didn't make sense to her why she was having these dreams again. She had forced all that behind her when she woke up in the hold of a slave ship, confused and dazed, six months ago. Before was all she had allowed herself to think of then. No thoughts of Them and that place. That was simply not to be permitted, even if no one else knew about it. So why was she now having the dreams again? No answer presented itself, so Mei-Lin kept walking.

She found that her feet had led her to the cockpit when she looked up and saw the stars through the window. It was an awe-inspiring sight that made her breath catch in her throat. Mei-Lin had never seen the stars like this, as she had grown up on Ariel and had little memory of the space journeys she had taken before this point. Seeing all that open space before her…it was a very humbling thing. Moving towards the co-pilot's seat and sitting down with her eyes still on the window, Mei-Lin couldn't help but stare.

Wash didn't notice the girl entering his little sanctuary until she sat down in the co-pilot's seat. She looked a little confused and dazed, and her eyes were read and blotchy from what could only be tears, but at least she wasn't cowering in fear. Unlike when River first came onto _Serenity_, this girl seemed to be in control of most of her faculties. Wash wondered if that was really the case or if she was simply a lot better at hiding what was wrong with her. Well…she _was_ a mute, after all. And so far, they didn't know if there was anything really wrong with her, apart from the mute bit. That was for Simon to find out anyway, not Wash. Smiling to himself as the girl continued staring out at the Black surrounding them, Wash cleared his throat to alert her to his presence.

"Really is somethin', ain't it?" he asked with a smile when she turned to look at him in surprise. "You don't see nothin' like that on those fancy Core planets, I'll wager."

She shook her head in answer to that and smiled back at him weakly before looking back at the stars. There was a moment's silence, though it was far from an uncomfortable one. Apparently his earlier kindness towards the girl had earned Wash a place on Mei-Lin's list of people she trusted. After pausing for a second, Mei-Lin pulled out some paper and a pencil and wrote a hasty question.

IS IT ALWAYS THIS PRETTY?

"I sure think so," Wash replied with a shrug. "Some people don't care so much. They go mad with how empty the Black is."

Like the Reavers…Wash shuddered at that thought and forced himself to think of something else. He did not want to be remembering that time on Miranda. It had been bad enough while they were in the thick of it, and he knew for a fact that at least Kaylee still suffered from nightmares about it. No…he'd focus on something else rather than on the memories.

Mei-Lin seemed to know what he meant and also shuddered, her eyes going distant and her lips turning down in a frown. Going mad from the emptiness…

They were responsible for that, weren't They? Everything bad that Mei-Lin had ever encountered was somehow linked back to Them. It didn't matter what it was, she was certain that those who were responsible for whatever had happened to her after the men with blue hands took her away were also the ones responsible for every bad thing. Shaking all over as the memory of her nightmare clawed at the edge of her thoughts, Mei-Lin forced herself to focus on the window. She wasn't going to think about it.

Wash glanced over at Mei-Lin and frowned to himself. She looked like someone having an internal argument about something. It wasn't any of his business, so he wouldn't be asking about it, but he had to admit that he was curious. Anything that could tell them something about their newest passenger would be welcome. Simon would want to know as much as he could to start putting together how it was she lost her voice, after all.

"You okay?" he asked gently, one hand idly tracing the ridges on the back of his toy stegosaurus.

Mei-Lin shrugged noncommittally and made a gesture that Wash interpreted as meaning "I'm fine." He didn't believe it, of course, but if she didn't want to tell him, Wash wasn't about to do any pushing. That was the doctor's job, after all. Wash continued to fiddle with the toy dinosaur and his actions eventually caught Mei-Lin's eyes. Turning to look at the plastic dinosaur curiously, the girl stood up and walked over to kneel down next to the console, her eyes fixed on the toys.

"What's up?" Wash asked as he watched Mei-Lin's movements with a bemused expression.

The pencil and paper were once more produced and Wash soon found the reply to his question resting on the console.

NEVER HAD MANY TOYS. TOO LITTLE MONEY. THEN CAME THE OPERA, AND I WAS TOO OLD FOR THEM.

Wash blinked a little at that. So…he now knew one thing about Mei-Lin. She had not been born to a wealthy family like Simon and River's. Not that there was much question about that to begin with. Wealthy folk didn't exactly like having a kid working in something like the opera. Too many riff raff and what not. Smiling reassuringly at Mei-Lin, he handed her the toy stegosaurus.

"Well I never really grew outta havin' toys, so you can borrow 'em," he said with a grin.

Mei-Lin's eyes grew wide in wonder as she accepted the offering and stared at the toy as though she had never seen one before. Smiling up at Wash, she padded back to the co-pilot's seat with her new friend in hand and returned to observing the stars, though now and then she would pull out the dinosaur to let it "walk" along the console. She looked like such a little kid right then that Wash had to smile.

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Mal woke up rather suddenly, his body alert, but his mind still fuzzy. Something told him that he should have woken up sooner, but his head was too sleepy to make much sense of that idle thought. He didn't hear anything beyond the usual creaking and rattling sounds _Serenity_ made while flying, so it couldn't have been a sound that woke him up. Or maybe it was, he corrected himself sluggishly as he heard laughter. Wasn't Kaylee. No…it was Wash. What in the gorram hell was that _hun dahn _laughing about at this hour?

Rising out of bed with a groan as a few of his joints creaked in protest, Mal rubbed his eyes to banish the bleariness of sleep from his vision. It didn't work quite as well as he would have liked, and his body was still stiff, but Mal did his best to ignore all that. Old wounds always bothered him, whether they were from the war or from the more recent battle at Mr. Universe's complex, and he wasn't in the mood to let a few aches slow him down. After pulling on a shirt and his boots, Mal made his way up the ladder leading to his bunk and turned towards the bridge. Wash was there, all right. But apparently he wasn't alone, as he was looking at someone in the co-pilot's seat.

With only a short pause to pop the crick out of his back, Mal made his way up to the bridge to find Mei-Lin sitting down across from Wash, smiling shyly at the pilot as he told her one of his many wild stories. This one appeared to be about how Wash and Zoë got married, though Mal's braid was still a little foggy from his sleep being interrupted. As soon as Mei-Lin heard Mal's footsteps, she gave a violent start and hastily stood up, looking ready to dart out if she needed to. Wash gave the girl a confused look before spotting Mal as well.

"Oh…mornin', Cap'n," he greeted with a slight salute. "I was just makin' our guest feel a little more at home."

"Did you have t'do it so loud it woke me up?" Mal asked in a tone similar to a whining child who wanted five more minutes of sleep before waking up for school.

Mei-Lin ducked her head at this and flushed guiltily. She didn't want to be the one responsible for making the captain displeased with Wash. The funny pilot was so nice to her, and he knew such nice stories. They were almost as nice as the stories of the operas that Mei-Lin used to sing.

Seeing the look of guilt on the mute girl's face, Mal sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. "I ain't mad none," he assured her. "Don't look like I just caught you at somethin' really bad."

She flushed even more and stared fixedly at her hands, not wanting to meet his gaze. It had been bad enough when she got Them mad. When They got angry, it meant that she would be punished with longer "sessions" with the doctors. Thankfully the captain didn't seem the sort to do something like that, but it did not make her want to meet his eyes anymore.

Sighing in defeat, Mal looked over at Wash. "How close we to Regina?" he asked, his voice still groggy.

"We still got about 72 hours, but we ain't veering off-course," Wash replied with a nod. "No need ta get your suspenders in a twist just yet."

"It's the yet that worries me," Mal grumbled. "Just keep us flying and let me know if I should start worryin'."

"Can do, Cap'n," Wash called over his shoulder as Mal walked off. "Don't worry 'bout him," he added, smiling at Mei-Lin. "He's just jealous that I don't tell him stories."

Mei-Lin actually smiled at that, not the half-hearted one that she had shown him before. This was a large smile with her eyes bright and her shoulders shaking with what would have no doubt been laughter if she still had a voice. Wash felt more than a little accomplished at this and grinned back.

"Just sit back and enjoy the ride, Linnie," he said with a wink at her before pausing. "Linnie. That suits you, don't you think?"

She made a face at the new nickname that involved her nose wrinkling and sticking out her tongue at him. Apparently she did not agree that it suited her, but Wash didn't mind. He thought it fit her and she couldn't exactly say no to him calling her that.

"Well," he said with a satisfied sigh. "Linnie, this looks like it'll be a good day, huh?"

Rolling her eyes at the nickname, Mei-Lin sighed with the air of a martyr and sat back in her chair. She might as well just live with it if he wasn't going to stop calling her that.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All I own is Mei-Lin and the plots that revolve around her.

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Chapter Four

Not long after Mei-Lin made her way to the bridge of _Serenity_, the other members of the crew began to stir in their bunks, with the single exception of Jayne, but no one really cared whether or not he was awake. The first person awake after Mal was Kaylee, though the good doctor did his best to prevent this from being the case. Still, Kaylee had an engine to tend to, no matter how distracting Simon could be. _Serenity_ wouldn't fix herself if something went wrong.

After managing to get free of Simon's hold on her—even asleep it was like the young doctor was scared Kaylee would turn out to be a dream—Kaylee slowly made her way down the hall towards the engine room, pausing only for a moment when she heard Wash talking to someone. Turning to look up onto the bridge, Kaylee smiled to herself when she spotted Mei-Lin sitting across from the pilot, apparently listening attentively to one of his wild stories. Humming to herself as she made her way towards the engine room, Kaylee silently hoped that the little mute would start opening up to someone, so Simon could know what to do for her.

Zoë and Simon were the next members of the crew to start going about their daily jobs; Zoë because she had been sitting in bed for the last half hour trying to think up new ways to pry her husband away from the controls and Simon because he got too cold to stay asleep after Kaylee slipped out of bed. The doctor climbed out of the bunk that he and Kaylee now shared and glanced around him thoughtfully, adjusting his shirt as he went. The sound of Wash's voice drew him towards the bridge, and Simon was surprised to find their silent guest sitting cross-legged on the ground beside Wash's seat. For a moment, she looked remarkably child-like as she sat listening to the pilot, causing Simon to shake his head in confusion.

Wash noticed Simon standing behind them before Mei-Lin did and nodded a greeting. "Mornin', Doc. Sleep well?"

Simon couldn't help but notice the suggestive tone in Wash's voice and rolled his eyes. "I slept very well, thank you," he said a little stiffly before turning his attention to Mei-Lin, who was eyeing him warily. "I was actually hoping that I could borrow Miss Chao for a short time?"

Mei-Lin's eyes widened in fear as she glanced from Wash to Simon and back again, as though silently pleading that she not be sent off with the doctor. Simon's jaw clenched a little at this, though not out of a feeling of anger that was directed at the former singer. Whoever had destroyed Mei-Lin's vocal chords had instilled a great deal of fear in her, almost as much as River had been dealing with for over a year. Could it have been the same people behind both cases? If so, then Simon was more determined than ever to find out what was wrong with Mei-Lin, even if Mal didn't want to keep the girl on board longer than was absolutely necessary.

"It's all right, Linnie," Wash said reassuringly, the way one would soothe a crying child. "Doc just wants ta figure out what happened to your voice, then y'can just go right back ta cookin' up a storm."

The thought of being allowed back into the kitchen did seem to calm Mei-Lin somewhat, as she gave Wash a shaky smile before standing up and slowly following Simon down to the infirmary. At first, Simon had hoped that, unlike with River, Mei-Lin would be willing to actually enter the infirmary, but once she caught sight of the sterilized walls, Mei-Lin began to panic. It wasn't the loud sort of panic that Simon was used to, but a silent shaking and refusal to move forward. Completely at a loss for what to do, Simon debated offering to examine her in the kitchen, but he knew that wouldn't work. All of the equipment he would need was in the infirmary and not the sort that you could just carry to any other part of the ship. Frowning a little, he finally moved to place a hand on Mei-Lin's arm and guide her into the infirmary himself. She flinched away from his touch at first, but as Simon continued to try and pull her forward, Mei-Lin seemed to relax. At least, it grew easier to pull her forward.

After he managed to get Mei-Lin into the infirmary, Simon led her to the operating table, which caused an even bigger scuffle as the young woman tried to back away. Sighing as he tried to calm down the former opera singer, Simon finally managed to get her to sit down. The poor girl was shaking life a leaf as she sat there, looking for all the world like she wanted to bolt and run at the first opportunity. Pulling on a pair of protective gloves, Simon frowned thoughtfully before he moved to stand in front of Mei-Lin.

"I promise…I won't hurt you, Miss Chao," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. All his months of taking care of River since he rescued her from the Academy had made him more approachable to the girl, it seemed. "I just want to examine your throat, and see if there are any other wounds that need tending to."

She nodded a little at this, Mei-Lin tilted her head back so that he could better examine the scars that marred her otherwise flawless throat. Frowning at the horrible scars, Simon gently prodded at her throat and frowned even more as he continued to do so. He had been right earlier when he told the crew that the scars on Mei-Lin's throat were not subtle. Someone had purposefully butchered this girl's throat for some reason. Why was beyond Simon's comprehension, but that wasn't important at the moment. From what little he could tell from his examination, there was no way to heal her vocal chords. If how deep these scars looked was any indication, then the surgical blade that had inflicted the wounds had cut straight through the chords, rendering her permanently mute. Pulling back with a sigh, Simon shook his head.

"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for your throat," he said quietly. "I'm very sorry."

The look on Mei-Lin's face was heartbreaking. It was as though Simon had just torn away her reason to live, and it made Simon feel absolutely horrible. Sighing heavily, the young doctor shook his head apologetically.

"I am so very sorry, Miss Chao," he murmured. "As for the rest of you…I really can't say. Do you remember anything of what events led to your being made a slave?"

Mei-Lin shook her head sadly before pulling out her writing utensils to further explain. Her large, elegant letters soon covered the page.

THERE'S NO MEMORY. I WOKE UP IN THE SLAVE SHIP AND THAT'S IT. She paused thoughtfully and then continued writing. AND I REMEMBER THEM.

"Them?" Simon repeated. "Who are…who are they?"

She shook her head again, but in fear rather than sadness. Her brown eyes were wide with fear as she began shaking again, as though trying to warm herself from some internal chill. Hastily, Simon tried to reassure her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's all right, Miss Chao," he said quietly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

A grateful look crossed Mei-Lin's face as she smiled weakly at the doctor, still shaking slightly. She flipped over the paper to write another message.

THANK YOU. IT'S…SCARY.

Simon nodded a little and frowned thoughtfully before he motioned for her to exit the infirmary if she wanted to. Glancing at the door as though she was suspicious that he wouldn't really let her out, Mei-Lin nodded before hastily leaving, not pausing to look back at Simon. Still frowning to himself, Simon leaned back against the operating table and crossed his arms thoughtfully. Who could have possibly done that sort of damage to Mei-Lin?

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Mei-Lin found herself standing in the cargo hold, looking around in confusion. She hadn't been looking around when she left the infirmary, and now she didn't know the way back to the kitchen. Frowning to herself, Mei-Lin wrapped her arms around herself and turned around in an attempt to find some way out of the cargo hold. It didn't work right away, and she sighed heavily.

She didn't hear the approaching footsteps of the captain, which only made her jump even more in fright when Mal cleared his throat to alert her to his presence. With eyes wide, she turned to face the captain, looking very much like she had just been told that she only had a few months left in her life. Arching his eyebrow slightly at this, Mal coughed again and moved slowly towards Mei-Lin, as though she was a wild animal to be approached with caution.

"S'all right, darlin'," he assured her. "Didn't mean to startle you none. You lost?"

The girl nodded miserably. Poor kid looked worse than a lost puppy, Mal thought to himself. Not that he was goin' soft or anything. It was just an observation. What had the Doc said to her that would make her look so forlorn?

"Kitchen's up this way," Mal said, pointing up the steps.

Mei-Lin glanced at the steps before nodding sadly at Mal and walking towards them, one hand moving to cover the scars on her throat, as though they were something to be ashamed of. Frowning a little more, Mal watched as Mei-Lin walked away before turning to find Simon standing in the doorway of the infirmary.

"Well?" Mal asked, a little impatiently.

Simon sighed heavily and shrugged. "I examined the scars on her throat," he said slowly. "And it looks like someone deliberately took a knife to it, surgically severing her vocal chords and destroying her voice. I have no idea _why_, of course, and I don't think she knows either. She mentioned…'Them,' but when I tried to get her to explain what she meant, she almost bolted in terror." Calmly meeting Mal's gaze, Simon shrugged again. "Someone purposefully silenced Mei-Lin Chao. I can't begin to imagine the reasoning behind it, but that is what I believe happened."

Mal's frown deepened further as he took all this in. The Doc brought up a valid point; why would someone go out of their way to silence a famous opera singer? What had she known that required her to be silenced, and who had done it? Shaking his head as though to clear it, Mal nodded politely to Simon before making his way up to the dining area. It wouldn't do to try and solve a mystery on an empty stomach, after all. There he found Mei-Lin, cooking up a storm in an attempt to distract herself from whatever it was that Simon had told her. Sitting down calmly, Mal watched the mute girl with a new interest.

She was a pretty enough girl, with her finely formed features and dark eyes, but the underlying fear in her expression detracted somewhat from her appearance. Still…there was a sort of quiet beauty that lingered around her, even with all the fear and suspicion that filled her expression. She was also built very like a dancer, compact and lithe with arms and legs that appeared very strong, even when covered by layers of clothing. And there was something else about her…Mal couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something more to this girl than the fearful face and the seemingly-delicate body.

Mei-Lin must have noticed Mal by this time, as she had frequently turned in his direction while cooking, but she didn't acknowledge his presence in any way. Mal didn't mind this too much, of course. The last thing he wanted was to try and talk to her and see that beaten puppy look on her face again. It wasn't that Mal had any particular reason for caring 'bout this girl's feelings, he just didn't know how to handle a silent girl who looked close to crying because of somethin' the Doc had told her.

What exactly _had_ Simon told the girl, Mal wondered to himself. It had to be something very bad, because even while she was looking pointedly at the countertop, Mei-Lin had an expression of complete heartbreak on her face. Poor kid, Mal found himself thinking, much to his surprise. Blinking a little, Mal shook his head and looked away from Mei-Lin. Something about the girl was worming into his sympathies, and that was the last thing that Mal needed right now. Girl like Mei-Lin on the ship would only cause distractions, and with her being mute and such, she wouldn't be of much use to the crew. Course, her cooking was the best the crew had enjoyed since Shepherd Book left, which might be reason enough to keep her onboard, but Mal wasn't about to keep her just for her cooking.

Sighing in exasperation with himself, Mal shook his head slightly as the rest of the crew filed in for breakfast, Kaylee sporting about five different grease smudges on her face alone.

"Mm…Somethin' smells good," Kaylee commented as she sat down next to Simon, wiping at the largest grease smudge under her right eye and only making it larger.

Mal looked around at the crew and noticed that River wasn't with them. The little Albatross must be at the bridge, he thought to himself as Wash wrapped an arm around his wife. Mal would have a talk with River later, asking her about her impression of the former singer. If the young reader thought that they ought to keep Mei-Lin around…then he would at least consider it. Until then, he would just enjoy the girl's good cooking and wait for some sign about what to do with Mei-Lin.

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Author's Note: Wow…just, wow. It's been so long since I updated for this story, that I was starting to wonder if I even had any muse left for it. Appears I do…how 'bout that? Watching Castle with Nathan Fillion will do that, I guess. So…While I am still working on my Tangled fics, I will probably be able to start writing more regularly for this fic, if not all my other in-progress ones. We'll see! Enjoy this new chapter and remember, reviews are love!


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